


A Chat About Sophie

by SophieD



Series: Everything Ghanges [5]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Bar, Conversation, Gen, Heterosexual Relationship, Lesbian Relationships, Lost Love, Love, Relationshios, Remorse, Whiskey - Freeform, blame, letting go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-08-25
Packaged: 2018-04-17 03:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4651209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieD/pseuds/SophieD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tara and Nate need to talk about Sophie. Tara tries to explain why Sophie is with her instead of Nate. He doesn't want to understand</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Chat About Sophie

**Author's Note:**

> This story comes right after Tara comes back to take care of Sophie. After the Everything Changes story. 
> 
> Love comments. Comments make me want to write more. Want more? Leave me a comment.

I let myself brush into him as I slide onto the barstool. I lean close. "Can I buy you a drink Handsome?" He turns to me with a smile. "Hello Tara." "Hi Nate. Imagine me finding you here at McRory's." He smiles again. "You always were a clever one." I laugh. "Why are you here Tara? Where's Sophie?" I can hear the concern in his voice. I haven't let Sophie out of my sight since I came back. "Parker's with her." He nods. "I think you and I should talk Nate."

"I think I'd like that drink now" he says and I wave at Kara. She refills Nate's whiskey and pours me one. She starts to walk away and Nate tells her to leave the bottle. He drinks his drink in one swallow then pours himself another. I sip on mine and wait.

Nate finally rests his glass back on the bar top. "I'm not sure we should be having this conversation Tara." "We need to Nate. Especially after what happened the other night." He doesn't answer me, he just stares into his glass. I give him a few seconds then I try again. "What you said to Sophie? Did you mean it? Are you really giving us your blessing? Are you really OK?" He sits quietly for another few beats before answering. "Of course I didn't mean it Tara. I'm not OK with this in any way. But Sophie made her choice. What else could I do but tell her what she needed to hear? I love her. I always will." He pauses and looks up at me. "You're not going to tell Sophie are you?" Its my turn to laugh. "No. Sophie would kill me if she knew I was here." He chuckles. "So you're afraid of her too then?" I laugh along. Sophie Devereaux is a formidable woman. We both know what she's capable of. We also both know her love and it hurts me to think that I've taken that from him. 

"Can I ask you something?" he asks. "Of course." "How long have you and Sophie known each other?" I know there are things Sophie has kept from him. I know I shouldn't be the one to tell him. I also know that he deserves some answers. "We've been friends for about 20 years." "And all that time, you have been uh.." "Sleeping together?" His cheeks turn pink. "Yeah." I sigh. "Off and on. We've never spent that much time together, never comitted to anything. It was always just for a bit of fun." "But you love her?" "Yeah. I do. I suppose I always have but that was never anything we talked about. Not anything Sophie ever wanted." He turns back to his glass. "So what changed?" My voice is almost breathless when I answer. "You."

Nate doesn't move except to squeeze his eyes shut. "You were what she wanted Nate. She loves you. And she loves all of this." I wave my arm around, encompassing Nate, the bar, the team. "I could never compete with any of this. That's what we fought about in Beruit."  
"You were in Beruit?" He asks, his voice way too loud. "She never told you?" "No she never told anyone. But everything makes a lot more sense now." "I'm sorry Nate. I really am. She told me again that she didn't want me. That's why I ran away." "But you came back didn't you?" This time I can hear the accusation in his voice. "I didn't want to. I thought I could finally get over her. I thought I could live without her. I couldn't. I had to see her. I was going to leave forever. Then Parker came to me with her crazy ideas and, I don't know, I just couldn't." He sighs. I can see the anger drain from his face as he pours himself another drink. 

"You have to believe me Nate. I, we, never planned this. It really has been you all along. If you had ever..." I can't finish. I don't want to. He feels bad enough about losing Sophie. Me telling him it's all his fault, that can't be helping. 

"No Tara" he finally says, "Sophie and I were never going to work. Not while she was still sleeping with you!" The anger is back. I know I deserve it and more. "I'm sorry Nate" I whisper. "I really am." He turns and glares at me. "You keep saying that she wanted me but she kept going back to you. How could we have ever gotten past that?" "I don't know. I tried.." He cuts me off. "Not very hard you didn't. You were more than happy to take her to bed anytime you got the chance. You knew we were together and still you were fucking her!" His voice is too loud and people are starting to look our way. I match his volume now. "She was never fully yours Nate. Just like she was never fully mine. The difference is that I loved her. I did everything I could and she still wanted you." "And you think I didn't, don't love her?" His voice is still loud, still angry. "Did you ever tell her Nate? Did you ever do anything besides push her away?" 

He grabs at his glass and drinks again in one gulp before pouring another. "I wanted to". His voice is quiet now, defeated. "I could never find the words. Damn it! I wanted to. I just..." I put my hand over his. "I know Nate. Believe me, I know."

"And now?" he asks quietly. "I don't know Nate. I guess now we try to make this work. Sophie, she still has issues. She's scared. I told you this was never what she wanted. She wanted a family. A husband and a houseful of kids. But that's not who we are is it?" He shakes his head. "No it's not. Not anymore..." His voice trails off. 

"She still loves you Nate. She still wants to be a part of your life. A part of the team. You're everything to her. I don't know if she and I are going to work. Sophie has never considered herself gay. It's not who she is. Who she wants to be. There was a reason we've never been together, never talked about love and relationships. It's because neither of us thought that it would ever work. But now she wants to try. I think she does anyway. And I want to try. I want to make Sophie happy." 

Nate has tears in his eyes when he looks up again. "That's all I want too. To make Sophie happy. And I was telling the truth. I know I can't be who she wants me to be. I can't be anything for her. I can't make her happy. But I think that maybe you can. I see her eyes when she looks at you, when she touches you. She's never looked at me like that. So yes, you have my blessing. But Tara, understand one thing, if you hurt her, if you leave her, I, we will make sure it's that last thing you ever do." 

I squeeze his hand. "Thank you Nate." He doesn't answer me. As I stand to leave, he fills his glass with whiskey and once more, he drains it.


End file.
